Calculating machine



' March 3, 1936. H. T. AVERY 2,033,087

QALCULATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1, 1931 IE IE .4;

\ r NVE OR Harv/d [five/y ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1936 CALCULATINGMACHINE Harold T. Avery, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Mai-chantCalculating Machine Company, a corporation of California I ApplicationSeptember 1, 1931, Serial No. 560,580

7 Claims. (01. 235-131) The present invention relates to calculatingmachines and particularly to the type in which a selected number ofincrements may be transmitted to a numeral wheel at a high speed ofoperation wherein suitable means are provided for positively limitingthe movement of the numeral wheel to the selected number of, incrementsand preventing overthrow thereof. The invention is disclosed as embodiedin a machine of the typeshown in the patent to Friden No. 1,643,710,dated September 27, 1927, to which reference is hereby made for adisclosure of mechanisms not specifically described herein.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved mechanism forpreventing overthrow of the numeral wheels upon movement thereof by anyof a plurality of operating mechanisms.

Another object of the invention is 'to provide means whereby the numeralwheels are released foriree rotation during a digitation operation, andare positively locked at the end thereof to prevent overthrow.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for preventingoverthrow of the numeral wheels, said means being controlled by theactuating mechanism.

Another object of the inventionis the provision of overthrow preventingmeans having a' plurality of operating positions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of overthrow preventingmeans which are positive in their operation and which reduce noise ofthe machine to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is the provision of overthrow preventingmeans having a plurality of' controlling means which are controlled bythe actuating mechanism.

Another object of the invention is the provision of overthrow preventingmeans permitting of a high speed of operation-with a minimum of noiseincident thereto.

Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

The present invention is shown as embodied in a calculating machine ofthe type disclosed in -the patent to Friden No. 1,643,710 datedSeptember 27, 1927, and is an improvement on the structure shown in thepatent to Friden No. 1,454,- 275 dated May v8, 1923. The inventioncontemplates a locking of the numeral wheels at all times when anoperation involving movement of the same is not in progress, and acomplete release of the numeral wheels during operation thereof, therebypermitting comparatively light caring pressure on the overthrowpreventing pawls so that the noise incident to the oscillation of saidpawls is reduced to aminimum.

The overthrow preventing means disclosed in the present structure areprovided with three distinct operating conditions. When no operation 5of the numeral wheels is in progress said means are positively locked inengagement therewith, while during a digitation operation the overthrowpreventing means are moved to inoperative position and the numeralwheels are free to rotate 10 without more than frictional resistance;during the portion of an operating cycle in which a transfer is madefrom one numeral wheel to the 7 one of next higher order, it isnecessary that the overthrow preventing means he resiliently held 15into engagement with the'numeral wheel, as said wheel must be free toreceive a transfer in the event that such is determined, and must not beallowed to float out of position in the event that a transfer is notdetermined. This resilient engagement of the overthrow preventing meanswith the numeral wheel gear also maintains the alignment of theintermediate gear until the transfer tooth is engaged therewith, thuspreventing a jamming of the machine.

In the accompanying'drawing forming a part of this specification:

.Figure l is a rightsection through the actuator and the shiftableaccumulating mechanism carriage, showing the parts as they are relatedin normal position. The section of the actuator as shown in Figure 1 istaken along the line l-'-l in Figure 3, the transfer keys being dottedin to show their relative position with respect to the remainder of theactuating unit.

Figure 2 is a left elevation of an actuating unit of the calculatingmachine, showing the means for releasing the overthrow preventing meansduring digitation and for providing a resilient retaining means for saidnumeral wheels during transfer operations.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of one of the actuating units of themachine.

Figure- 4 is a. right elevation of one of the actuating units of thecalculating machine.

Figure 5 is a detail view showing the means for releasing the overthrowpreventing means during resetting operations.

As disclosed in the present embodiment, the invention is shown asapplied to a calculating machine having a rotary actuator 300 which maybe operated by any suitable means. Values are introduced into themachine by suitable mechanism which moves the lever arm 301 through anangle corresponding to the desired value, said arm being provided withan arcuate rack at the upper end thereof meshing with and adaptedto movea settable disk 302 as fully disclosed in the Friden .Patent No.1,643,710. A box cam is 5 formed in said disk to receive a roller 303A(Figure 1) attached to a slide 303 to control the time of projectionthereof during a rotation of the actuator. The slide 303 is providedwith nine teeth which are adapted to'mesh with and actuate theintermediate gears 002 to register on the numeral wheel 00! the numberrepresented by I the setting of the disk 302, as disclosed in theabove-mentioned patent. A locking pawl 840 is provided to lock the disk302 in adjusted position during rotation of the actuator, the controlthereof being provided through any suitable means. 7

Suitable means are provided for carrying tens from order to order, asfully disclosed in the above-mentioned patent. The only element thereofshown in the instant drawing is the transfer key 322 mounted in theactuator, said key being adapted to be rocked laterally against thetension of spring 322A by a transfer lever 2 (not shown) to engagetheintermediate gear 002.

- arrdltransmit one increment of movement to a higher order wheel whenthe wheel of next lower order passes from 0 to 9, or 9 to 0. The meansfor restoring any tripped transfer levers are also carriage placed inparallel displaceable relation with respect to the actuating mechanism.Secured to the side of each numeral wheel QM is a numeral wheel gear 003having .ten teeth.

' Normally engaging said numeral wheel gear is a pawl e04 which isthrust into engagement therewith by a spring 405 tensioned between thetail of said pawl and a suitable supporting memher in the accumulatingcarriage. While the numeral wheels are shown as being mounted in a'shiftable carriage, the invention as disclosed is equally applicable toa machine in which the actuator is displaceable with respect to theaccumulator, or the two are relatively stationary.

" Means are provided for normally holding the pawl 400 in lockingengagement with the numeral wheel 400. A bellcrank' lever 4520 isloosely mounted-on a shaft 329, being normally held in 00' the positionshown in Figure l by a compression spring 020A suitably tensionedbetween the upper arm of said bellcrank and a plate 022. The lower and.forwardly extending arm of the bellcrank lever 420 is held in lateralalignment by a downso ward ly projecting comb extension of plate 622,and is provided at the end with a nose 3203 have ing a double cammingsurface, the upper surface of which is adapted to block movement of thepawl $00 by engagement with a lateral extension 400A provided thereon.The pawls 500 are nor mally spring presse into fully seated position,and-the nose @203 of the bellcr lever 120 serves not to hold 'the'pawlin its fully seated position, but merely to lock the pawl safely below863 the iii-i of 9 g tilt, thereby eflectir= ally locking theaccumulating wheel 40K in any given position.

Means are provided for completely the numeral wheels from the overthrowpreventing pawl during digitation. Secured to the actuating slide 303and to one side of the operating teeth thereof is a cam 3033 which isadapted, upon rotation of the actuator, to contact the rearward andupwardlyextending arm 4200 of the bell-crank lever 420 to rock saidlever in'a counter-clockwise direction to its extreme position in thatdirection. The arm 4200 is held in the proper position by a suitablecomb formed integrally with plate 422. The lower caniming surface ofnose 4203 on the lower arm of the bellcrank lever 420 is adapted'tocontact a pin 40413 on the pawl 400, and rocksaid pawl in a clockwisedirection to release the numeral wheel 40! releasing therefrom. Therelease of the numeral wheel 40! from the pawl'dflfiis effected onlyduring digitation as the cam 3033 becomes effective and ineffective intime with the teeth of the actuating slide 303 so'that the release iseffected immedi-' slide, or'when the slide passes operative position.

At either of these times the spring 405 becomes effective to reseat thepawl 404 'in engagement withtheigear 403, and the bellcrank lever 420 funder influence of spring 520A again moves into actuator unit 300 is acam surface 322B laterally aligned with the respective transfer pins322. Said cams are so positioned as to become efiective immediatelyafter the cam 3033 to rock the bellcrank 520m a counter-clockwisedirection. The

movement imparted to the bellcrank lever 420 by the cam 3223 is lessthan the movement imparted thereto by the cam 3033 so that the lower andforward arm 020B thereof is rocked downwardly to permit the pawl 300 tobe oscillated by the gear 03, but not'to such an extent that the nose0203 will rock the pawl 600 by contacting the pin 006B. Thisintermediate position of the bellcrank lever 5120 allows the pawl 504 toremain in engagement with the gears 003 and act as a normally springpressed overthrow preventing pawl. This ensures the alignment of gearsQ03 and 602 so that the transfer pm 322 can mesh therewith and preventsthe numeral wheelflti from floating out of position in the event that notransfer is determined in that order.

From the foregoing description it appears that the bellcrank lever 620is adapted to occupy three difierent positions to determine three different operating conditions of the overthrow preventing pawl ltd. In thenormal position shown in Figure 12 the forward arm $2013 of saidbellcrank lever lies in front of the lug 004A on the pawl 604i,preventing a complete release of the pawl 00d from the numeral wheelgear 303, posilml'atl wheel idl n position g ti lotsing the In theintermediate position of the bellcrank lever 420, to which position itis moved by either of the cams 3223 during the transferring portion ofthe cycle of operation, the forward nose 420B of said bellcrank lever ismoved downwardly out of blocking relation with the lug 404A, but not sofar as to release the pawl 404 from the numeral wheel, thus allowing itto operate as a normal spring pressed pawl during such operation. In theextreme rocked position of the bellcrank lever 420 in acounter-clockwise direction, as imparted thereto by the cam 3033 duringdigitation operation, the forward nose 4203 of the bellcrank leverengages the pin 404B secured to the pawl 404 and rocks said pawlcompletely out of engagement from the intermediate numeral wheel gear403, thus permitting free rotation of the numeral wheel duringdigitation operations.

Means are provided for releasing the numeral wheelsfor free rotationduring a resetting operation. Secured to the resetting shaft M is a camdisk 4 I 3 having a depression which is adapted to receive the nose of amember 4 l4 mounted on the shaft 406 (Figure 5) when the resetting shaftis in normal or full cycle position. Said member M4 is held in springpressed engagement with the cam disk 3 by a spring 5 suitably supportedon an arm USA as shown in Figure 5. Upon rotation of the resetting shaft4| 0, the cam disk 3 forces the projection on member 4 from engagementwith the seat in said cam disk, and rocks the shaft 406 in acounter-clockwise direction. As shown in Figure 1, counterclockwiserotation of shaft 406 depresses the forward arm of the bellcrank 420,causing the nose 420B formed thereon to contact pin 4043 to release thepawl 404 from engagement with the numeral wheel gears 403, releasing thenumeral wheel for free rotation as in digitation operations.

While the preferred construction has been described in the foregoingspecification, it is understood that the invention is capable ofmodification within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine, numeral wheels, spring pressed detentsassociated therewith, a member for preventing movement of said detentsto inoperative position, and means comprising said member for movingsaid detents to inoperative position.

2. In a calculating machine, numeral wheels, overthrow preventing -meanstherefor, means normally holding said overthrow preventing means to locksaid numeral wheels against movement in either direction, actuatingmechanism for including a differentially settable element, and

means controlled by said element for disabling said holding means andmoving said overthrow preventing means from engagement with said numeralwheels during effective movement of said actuating mechanism.

4. In a-calculating machine, a toothed registering wheel, aspring-pressed detent in cooperative relation therewith, a lever forblocking movement of said detent in either direction by said wheel,means for moving said lever to free said detent for movement in eitherdirection by said wheel, and means comprising said lever for completelyremoving said detent from cooperative relation with said wheel.

5. In a calculating machine, a toothed registering wheel, aspring-pressed detent in cooperative relation therewith, means forlocking said wheel against movement comprising means for blockingmovement of said detent, a digitation member having means associatedtherewith for completely removing said detent from cooperative relationwith said wheel, and a tens carrying member having means associatedtherewith for disabling said blocking means only.

6. In a calculating machine, a numeral wheel, a spring pressed detentassociated therewith, a lever for controlling movement of said detent,actuating mechanism comprising a digitation member and a tens carryingmember, and means associated with each of said members for causingdifferent movements of said lever in carrying than in digitationoperations.

7. In a calculating machine, a registering wheel, a spring presseddetent associated therewith, a control lever movable to a series ofpositions to block movement of said detent, to permit said detent to bemoved by said wheel, or to remove said detent from operative associationwith said wheel, reversible actuating mechanism, and means controlled bysaid mechanism for causing movement of said lever to each of saidpositions during operation in either direction.

HAROLD T. AVERY.

